Chapter 717: Chapter 382: The End_2 After saying this, Gu Sheng turned around and left, leaving behind a cold and indifferent figure and a scene of complete wreckage. Han Yishui, meanwhile, sat dumbfounded on the ground, as if all strength and hope had drained out of him. At this moment, he finally understood the vast disparity between himself and Gu Sheng... Han Yishui sat on the ground, watching Gu Sheng’s departing silhouette, his heart filled with regret and fear. He had originally believed he could manipulate this young man at will, yet in the end, it was he who suffered a crushing defeat. "Master, what should we do?" A disciple cautiously asked. Han Yishui said nothing. He simply sat there silently, as if his entire world had collapsed. He understood that this time he had truly lost, and he had lost miserably. Not only had he lost those precious Spiritual Artifacts, but he had also lost the dignity and prestige of being an elder. More importantly, he realized that the gap between himself and Gu Sheng was immense, not just in cultivation strength, but also in mindset and resolve. It was only after a long time that Han Yishui slowly got to his feet, his eyes flashing with a complex expression. He knew he could not just give up like this—he had to find a way to recover from this defeat. But he also understood that defeating Gu Sheng would not be an easy task. He needed a more cautious and well-thought-out plan. "You may leave now," Han Yishui waved his hand, dismissing the disciples. "The Mystical Artifact was borrowed by a friend and will require three days to retrieve..." Han Yishui continued fabricating excuses, playing for time. "I’ll give you three days. When the three days are up, if the Mystical Artifact isn’t returned, that’ll be the end of you!" Gu Sheng was curious to see what tricks Elder Han had left to play. "Alright!" Elder Han needed time alone to calmly think about his next move. After departing from Han Yishui’s residence, Gu Sheng did not immediately leave Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven. He still had one thing left to do: he needed to find his friend Lin Tianwen. He knew Lin Tianwen was trapped in the Demon Emperor’s Shadow Tomb, his fate unknown. Gu Sheng had to quickly find a way to save him. Thus, Gu Sheng began searching for information throughout Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, hoping to uncover clues regarding Lin Tianwen. Gu Sheng believed that as long as he didn’t give up, he would eventually find a way to rescue his friend. Meanwhile, Han Yishui was also not idle. He began secretly contacting other elders and factions, scheming a joint effort to deal with the formidable threat that was Gu Sheng. A larger storm was brewing, as Han Yishui’s treacherous intentions refused to die. Three days later, Gu Sheng had not received the Mystical Artifact, nor had Elder Han provided any explanation. "Hoo—" The wind whistled sharply. In the valleys of Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, a figure descended like a shooting star, instantly breaking the serenity of the valley. It was Gu Sheng; he had returned to settle the grudge with Han Yishui. Han Yishui was in his chamber cultivating when he suddenly felt a surge of immense energy rapidly approaching. His eyes snapped open, and his figure flickered as he appeared in the valley. When he saw it was Gu Sheng, a chill flickered through his eyes. "Gu Sheng, you dare come here alone? You’re courting death!" Han Yishui sneered viciously, his hand already covertly gripping several talismanic symbols. Gu Sheng remained expressionless. He spoke calmly, "Han Yishui, today is the day you die." As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Sheng charged toward Han Yishui like a bolt of lightning. Han Yishui, alarmed, hurriedly summoned a silver ruler and a green shield while simultaneously hurling nine pitch-black bone spears to block Gu Sheng’s assault. Gu Sheng’s Ancient Sacred Body shimmered with golden light, and with his bare hands, he seized the silver ruler and shield. With a slight exertion, he crushed them into pieces. "How... how is this possible?!" Han Yishui recoiled in terror, but it was already too late. Gu Sheng took a single step, instantly appearing before Han Yishui and delivering a powerful punch. "Boom—" A thunderous sound erupted as Han Yishui’s body flew through the air like a broken kite and crashed heavily to the ground. Blood spurted from his mouth, his eyes brimming with fear and resentment. "Who... who exactly are you?!" Han Yishui struggled to ask. "Gu Sheng." Gu Sheng coldly uttered those two words before turning and walking away. He knew this grudge had come to an end. Han Yishui, too, was just another passerby in his journey of cultivation. After leaving Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven, Gu Sheng did not linger for long. "Several powerful presences are quickly approaching," he murmured to himself. Clearly, cultivators beyond the Divine Bridge Realm in Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven had sensed the disturbance. Not wishing to entangle himself further, Gu Sheng activated his spatial jump secret technique. With a "whish," he vanished from his original spot. When Gu Sheng appeared again, he was already a thousand miles away, in Wei Country. Standing outside Xiao Du City, he gazed at the bustling metropolis in the distance and took a deep breath, thinking to himself, "A new journey begins." He knew his cultivation path was still long, and his next destination was Yaochi Holy Land. But before that, he intended to stay in Wei Country for some time. "I need to consolidate my cultivation and find a way to cross the Void to reach distant lands." Gu Sheng decided silently, and then he entered Xiao Du City to start his new life. In Xiao Du City, Gu Sheng found a secluded courtyard and settled down. He adhered daily to his cultivation, continuously tempering both his physical body and his soul. "I still need to find out how to Crossing the Void." He said to himself. One day, while wandering the city, Gu Sheng unintentionally arrived at an ancient temple. The temple was dilapidated, yet exuded a sense of age and profound antiquity. Curious, he stepped inside and discovered a Taiji statue being worshiped within. Gu Sheng stood before the statue, quietly gazing at it. Suddenly, a thought struck his heart: "The Taiji’s balance of yin and yang, its integration of movement and stillness—these principles seem to resonate with the path of cultivation I pursue." He sat cross-legged and began attempting to train his body in accordance with Taiji principles. As time passed, Gu Sheng’s cultivation steadily advanced, and his comprehension of Taiji deepened. "Perhaps I can integrate Taiji principles into my cultivation to create a unique physical training technique," he thought with excitement. Gu Sheng relentlessly honed both his physical body and his soul, his cultivation continuing to progress steadily. Simultaneously, his understanding of Taiji grew ever more profound. He even began experimenting with integrating Taiji’s yin-yang principles into his cultivation Mysterious Skill in hopes of developing an entirely new approach to cultivation. The process was grueling and challenging, but for Gu Sheng, it was a source of fulfillment. "With every breakthrough, I’m one step closer to my goal." Eventually, Gu Sheng sensed that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck. "I need a higher breakthrough," he said to himself. And so he decided to leave Xiao Du City and explore a broader world in search of more profound cultivation paths and secrets. "Only by constantly challenging myself and surpassing my limits can I become a true cultivator." Before departing, Gu Sheng respectfully bowed before the temple, saying: "Thank you, Taiji statue, for the enlightenment and assistance you’ve given me." Then, he turned and walked away. "Whoosh—whoosh—" The wind howled in the mountain forest. Gu Sheng stood motionless like a boulder on a clearing amidst the woods, diligently training an ancient physical technique. This technique combined movement and stillness, tempering both flesh and spirit in pursuit of harmonious development and achieving a higher realm. His Wheel Sea and Dao Palace secret realms were gradually being stabilized during his inner cultivation, but now, he hoped to unify the strength of his external physical techniques with the advancements in his internal secret realms to become more powerful. The road to cultivation was never smooth. "Sigh—" Gu Sheng let out a deep sigh and halted his practice. Over the past two months, he had made some progress in physical techniques, but he was still far from his ultimate goal. He understood that with his current realm, attempting to create an earth-shattering physical technique was an impossible dream. "Thud thud thud—" Soft footsteps approached from the distance. Gu Sheng furrowed his brows and turned toward the sound, spotting a familiar figure heading in his direction. "Haha, Brother Gu! Long time no see!" The newcomer was the mischievous Taoist Wu Dewang, who approached with a grin.